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Jacquard-loomed with a subtle intermingling of paisleys, florals and arabesques, this elegant and gently warming shawl will delight you with its incredible lightness of being. A versatile accessory—for the holidays and the year round—this chic Arabesque Pashmina can be gracefully draped, wrapped or knotted to create as many as 8 different looks for day into night. Cashmere, silk. Imported.
76"l. x 29"w. including delicate fringe.

Museum Provenance

The paisley motif, or Kashmiri buta, dates to the 15th century CE, when Sultan Zein-al-Aabedin is believed to have brought this decorative design from Iran to India. Now a favored print and woven design throughout the world, our National Museum of American History’s vast costume collections include many garments with paisley motifs.

Every Smithsonian purchase will arrive with a museum provenance card explaining how it is adapted from or
inspired by an object or objects in our collection.

I bought and received a pretty red shawl which I have worn with black and with grey outfits. However, it was at least 20 inch shorter than was described, and looks nothing like the photo. It has a paisley design throughout, but no floral design or arabesque whatsoever. This is the second time I have bought a shawl from the Smithsonian online site that does not meet the catalogue description. Quality control, someone?

I bought this instead of the ruby red pashmina that I wanted which was sold out; the photo showed this looking very similar and red was what I was looking for so I went for it. When I got it, I was disappointed in the quality--it had been described as cashmere and silk but where was the cashmere? and the color red was basically background to a load of black. I found maybe one or two patches of the red I was so anxious to have. I am keeping the item because I need a wrap that isn't all black; the only other one I have is black but I am not particularly happy with this item.

I wore this item as a scarf with a black sequined sweater & dressy pants to a Christmas party this past weekend. I had quite a few compliments on it & the photos taken that night showed it off beautifully. It drapes well, is very soft when tied around the neck, is not bulky, and looks stunning on black. Last night, my 10-yr old granddaughter needed a scarf to wear in her Christmas choir concert. She wore it & it was beautiful on her.

True "pashmina" is a fabric woven of silk and extremely fine wool such as cashmere; it's not a fancy name for "shawl." Although the description indicates that this product is made of cashmere and silk, and it's labelled as "Arabesque Pashmina," what I received is red and black, loosely-woven jacquard, and cheap VICOSE! I am extremely disappointed both in the product and in the way that it was so carelessly shipped.

I purchased (4) of these items to have stitched at certain design points to make a wall hanger 4' tall 10' long framed. Once completed would like the opportunity to share the photo.About seven years ago I purchased (32) scarfs from Smithsonian had them backed and usedthem as a drape of which is still utilized at my home, would enjoy sharing.